Valved selective sound control device



Feb. 13, 1951 c. HUENLKIZH 2,541,164

VALVED SELECTIVE SOUND CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 1, 1946 INVENTOR (71 ldrles Jtlucnl lch TTORNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1951 VALVED SELECTIVE SOUND CONTROL DEVICE Charles Huenlich, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange; N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application July 1, 1946, Serial No. 680,605

' 2 Claims. I

This invention relates to sound-control devices for phonographic transcribing machines of the acoustical type, and more particularly to an improved such device which is adapted to enable a transcriber to listen to the reproduced sounds from a loudspeaker horn or privately from a headset. More especially, my invention relates to a novel such sound-control device which is adapted for selectively connecting the horn or headset to the source of sound and for controlling the tonal character of the sound.

It is an object of my invention to provide a unitary device for selectively coupling an acoustical source to different sound receivers and for modifying the character of the sound to each receiver.

It is another object to provide such an acoustical device which has a single control movable into different positions within one range of travel thereof for differently coupling the source to one sound receiver and into different positions within another range of travel thereof for differently coupling the source to a second sound receiver.

Other objects are to provide a. combined soundselecting and -modifying device of novel form which is simple in its construction and highly effective for controlling the tonal character of the reproduced sounds of transcribing machines.

These and other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a transcribing machine incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the sound-control device of my invention;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of this soundcontrol device;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fractional right-hand view of the structure of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a section on the line l---! of Figure 3.

The transcribing machine shown in Figure 1 has a cabinet l9 openable at the front in which there is, housed an operating mechanism of conventional design. This mechanism includes a record support shown forexample as a mandrel H. This mandrel is journaled at its left end and is free at its right end to receive a cylindrical record 1-2. Mounted slidably on cross rods of which-one appears as I3 is a carriage M. havin an arm overhanging the record. In this arm is mounted an acoustical-type sound reproducer l5 of a type, for example, such as described in Holland Patent No. 1,207,404. Also on the carriage there is a depending arm [6 adapted to overlie a so-called index slip Ila mounted in a holder IT, to indicate the place on the record whereat the dictator may have made corrections or other notations. The reproducer I5 is adjustable into and out of coaction with the record by any suitable standard means known in the art controlled as by a lever l8. During operation the record is rotated and concurrently the carriage" is fed to the right along the record so that the reproducer will track the spiral grooves on the record to reproduce the recorded matter. These reproduced sounds are fed through a tubular neck l9 at the top of the reproducer (Figure 4) and are conducted therefrom either to an acous-- tical headset 20 or a loudspeaker horn 2i as is herein next described.

Mounted on the reproducer is a sound-control device 22 according to my invention. This con'' trol device comprises a tubular housing 23 which telescopes the tubular neck I9 and is retained is coupled acoustically by an armored flexible tube 21 to the horn 2|. This horn is bracketed at 28 to a vertical support rod 29 which is slidably" mounted'for vertical adjustment on the forward end of a laterally-swinging arm 30 that overhangs the cabinet and is pivoted to the back side thereof (the pivoting being not necessary herein to show) For retaining the rod 29 in its vertical-,-.

the housing with an interior bevel 33. The exterior end face 34 of the housing is also beveled to have a frusto-conical shape. Snugly rotatably fitting the bore 32 isa cylindrical valve 35 which hasa knurled head 36 provided with an annular rib 31 at the base. The under side of this rib seats slidably on the bevel 33 and the outer side thereof forms an even extension of the frustoconical face 34. The valve member is retained in place by a screw 38 which is threaded through the wall of the housing and engages a peripheral slot 39 in the valve. This slot also defines the overall range of angular adjustment of the valve, this rangezbeing preferably about 170".

The valve has a-eentra'l chamber :46 extending from the bottom to near the top thereof. In this chamber, preferably in the upper end portion:

thereof, there is placed a body. 4| of sound-absorptive material in accordance'with my Patent Leading from the chamber 40 through the side wall of the valve and at a small distance below the body 4| isia series'of graduated valve at the level of the outlets 25 and .26, these openings comprising for example a large opening 42 and a series of three successively-smaller.

openings 43, 44 and 45. The larger opening 43 of the-series 43-45 is spacedapproximately-120 clockwise "from the-opening 42 andthe openings hand 45 are spacedsuccessively at approxi--' mately 45?v intervals from' the opening 43 (Figure5).

Upon turning'the valve into-its most counterclockwise position the opening 42 .is aligned fully with'the outlet 25 to the hornpbut the series of openings 43 -45 are closed-by the wall of the housing.- Thus in this position of the valve, the

reproduced-sounds .aretransmitted to the born at maximum'loudness level. This position of the valve'is indicatedlvisuallyby the registration of a-dot-46 on the rib 31 of the valve withthe letter L. (representing Loud) on the .frusto-conical face tionof thedot-46 with-the letters M and S (M standing for Medium'andS for Soft) onthe face- 34.- Upon-moving thevalve further clockwise about --beyondthe 40 rangeabovenoted, the opening 42 is totally closed and the smallest of theseries-ofopenings43-45is aligned with the outlet 26 to'theheadset;v Thus the reproduced.

sounds-are now-transmitted*only to the headset at minimumlevel; As the valve is moved further clockwise-by 45"-- intervals the next -openings 44 and .45 are aligned successively with the outlet 26 to increase the-level of transmission to the headset to Medium andLoudrespectively. These low, medium and-loud positions of the valve with respect to the headset are locatedby the registra" tion of-al second dot-41 onithe-rib 3T withthe numbers 1, 2 and 3vresnectively on the face 34."

Inorder that the relation of thedots 46 and 41- to the characters on the face 34 may not be confused; the dot. 45 and'associated characters L, 'M and S are printed in one color and the dot 4'! and associated numbers 1, 2 and 3 are printed in' another color.

In .the foregoing. description, .it will be under-.- stood that the valvehas. one range of movement for. coupling the. horn-to the-reproducer and for modifying the volume and tonal character of the sounds transmitted to the horn, and has another range for coupling theheadsetto-the reproducer and for modifyingthe volume andtonal character-pf the sounds transmitted-to the headset. i

openings spaced angularly about the axis of the i As the volume level is increased, the level of the higher-frequency sounds to that of the lower is increased. This provides a tone control with change in volume which is desirable in transcribing recorded matter because it enables the operator to adjust the tonal quality and volume, particularly "in relation to the -reeord surface noise, to adjust the volume andtone of the reproduced sounds for maximum speech intelligibility.

It may be noted that in the Loud (3) position of the valve with respect to the headset-the p0- sition'wherein the'opening 43 registers with the outlet Zii-the smallest opening 45 registers with the outlet 25 to the horn. The opening 45 is however so small: relative to the opening 43 that no appreciable "sound is transmitted to the horn; however, by permitting the opening 45 to register with the outlet 25 in this position of the valve a more advantageous positioning of the outlets and of the control positions of the valve is obtainedi:

the bevel face -33 of the housing, as indicated ln' Figure l It is desirable that thersound chamber 401m; vented to the outside wheneverthe escape: vents fortheeound to the horn or aheadset are'small.

For this reason suchwventing is provided-in the M and S positions of-the valve with: respect to thehorn-andin all positions of the valve :with re-: spect to the headset.

In the M and S'positions the venting is providedby ,a fraetionah alignment of the opening 43 in the valve with an opening the housing; in'the number l position of the valve avithirespect to t-he headset itis provided by the alignment of an opening-5i in thevalve with an opening 52 inthe housing; 'andin number 2 and-numherifi positions of the valvewith respeefl to the headsetit is obtained by a fractionalalign ment of the opening 42 withthe opening 5!).

I have "hereinabove particularly deseribed a preferred"embodiment of myinvention but this embodiment is intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of my invention as the same is subject'to changesend modifications wit out departure from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express-accordingto the following claims.

I claim-r 1. In a sound control devi e for selectively coupling 'a source of sound to a plurality of sound receivers: thecombination of a housing having an internal cylindrical cavity connected to said source and having a pair of outlet ducts leading fromsaid cavity and coupled to said receivers respectively; and a valve in said cavity rotatably fitting said housingsaid'valve having one opening approximately the size of. one of said ducts positioned forregistration with said one duct.

Within only one angular range of turning movement of the valve relative to the housirtlg and said valve having additionally a series of openings of graduated size each smaller than the. other of said outlet ducts and positioned at intervals about.-

the axis of the valve for selective regi tration.

with the other of said ducts within only another angular range of turning movement of the valve separate from the aforestatecl one angular range, said valve fitting said housing snugly to close sub-- stantially said other outletduct when'the valve is within. said oneirange .and to .closesuhst-antialii s said one outlet duct when the valve is in said other range.

2. In a sound control device for selectively coupling a source of sound to a plurality of sound receivers: the combination of a hOllsing having an internal cylindrical cavity connected to said source and having a pair of outlet ducts leading from said cavity and coupled to said receivers respectively, said outlet ducts being in a common medial plane transverse to the axis of said cavity and being positioned substantially 90 from each other about said axis as a center, and a tubular valve fitting said cavity for rotation relative to said housing, said valve having one opening registrable with said one outlet duct within a first rotational range of turning movement of the valve less than a right angle, means limiting movement of the valve in one direction to a position wherein said first opening is in substantially full registration with said one duct, and said valve having a series of openings of graduated size spaced at intervals from said one opening for successive registration with said other duct as REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,506,393 Thomas Aug. 26, 1924 2,035,473 Harrison Mar. 31, 1936 2,061,475 Norton Nov. 17, 1936 2,215,585 Huenlich Sept. 24, 1940 2,380,845

Huenlich July 31, 1945 

